Never Again

[BigUmp56]

Am I the only one who thinks tournament time can be a pain in the @$$?

Our juniors opened up tournament play on Saturday. I and two of my counterparts were assigned to work a triple header for the juniors. The first game was a damn slugfest with the home team winning in the bottom of the 8th 15 -12. Two hours and 50 freakin minutes for a juniors game. The second game wasn't much better. Extra innings again, 6-2, 2 hours and 30 minutes. I was 5 hours and 20 minutes into actual game time before I worked the plate for the third game (I drew the short straw). The third game was a little better at only 2 hours, but I swear, no more triple headers for me.


Tim.

[DG]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Am I the only one who thinks tournament time can be a pain in the @$$?

Our juniors opened up tournament play on Saturday. I and two of my counterparts were assigned to work a triple header for the juniors. The first game was a damn slugfest with the home team winning in the bottom of the 8th 15 -12. Two hours and 50 freakin minutes for a juniors game. The second game wasn't much better. Extra innings again, 6-2, 2 hours and 30 minutes. I was 5 hours and 20 minutes into actual game time before I worked the plate for the third game (I drew the short straw). The third game was a little better at only 2 hours, but I swear, no more triple headers for me.


Tim.

Late last July I swore off triple headers. Second day of a Senior tournament (16-18), I had the plate for the first game that started at 11 am with temp around 90. By the end of the 10th, 3 hours later, it was 95 degrees and I nearly stripped in a dugout on an adjoining field after the game. Then two more games on bases. By the time I got home all I could do was lie down on the garage floor with a fan on me and a six pack beside me and try to recover before going back for 2 more games the next day and two the following day. 9 games in 4 days, and 3 on the second with temps over 90. It's too much for me.

[BigUmp56]

DG:

Have you ever worked a non traditional three man on one of your triple headers?

We worked it so that BU1 pretty much stayed at first for each game which gave each one of us an opportunity to take it easy for a game. It was almost like a two man as soon as there were any runners. BU3 came inside to C and stayed there.


Tim.

[SanDiegoSteve]

This season, I worked three solo Triple Headers. 9/12/3 all three times.

I didn't work any of the Triple Crown tourneys, but they worked 2-man crews, and each crew had 6, and sometimes 7 games each day. Way too much for me, so I chose not to participate.

[DG]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

DG:

Have you ever worked a non traditional three man on one of your triple headers?

We worked it so that BU1 pretty much stayed at first for each game which gave each one of us an opportunity to take it easy for a game. It was almost like a two man as soon as there were any runners. BU3 came inside to C and stayed there.
Tim.

Funny you should mention. On the day I mentioned where I worked 3 games U2 pulled a leg muscle early in the game and did not feel like he could continue. This was a 3 man crew and we had a discussion before proceeding. As I saw it we had two options, convert to 2 man or allow U2 to stay at 1B with no running. U2 felt like he could continue if he did not have to run, so we did. I explained to the coaches what we will be doing and the game moved on.

The second game I moved to U3, U3 went to the plate and U2 stayed at 1b. By the third game we had a subsitute umpire who had arrived. For the 3rd game I went to U2, PU to U3 and the new guy worked the plate. U2 did not work any more games in the tournament due to the injury. I give him cudo's for gutting out 2 games at 1B with an injury. He knew we could convert to 2 man until we could get a substitute, but he worked 2 games.

I don't undertand how, in your situation, you got a break. If U2 stayed at 1B for 3 games somebody worked 2 plates.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by DG

I don't undertand how, in your situation, you got a break. If U2 stayed at 1B for 3 games somebody worked 2 plates.

We rotated positions as usual with each of us working once as U1, once as U3, and once on the dish. We got a little break from all the extra running when we worked as U1 by not having to rotate in with R2 only or R2 and R3. The only time we would rotate to second from first was with R1 only and a deep base hit where we would take the BR into second if he committed.


Garth:

It's great that working four games in the Summer heat doesn't bother you. I'm sure it's just as hot and muggy where you are as it is here. I think you're more than likely the exception to the rule though. I don't know too many other umpires that can work 23 innings in a row in 90+ heat with high humidity without feeling it.


Tim.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

We rotated positions as usual with each of us working once as U1, once as U3, and once on the dish. We got a little break from all the extra running when we worked as U1 by not having to rotate in with R2 only or R2 and R3. The only time we would rotate to second from first was with R1 only and a deep base hit where we would take the BR into second if he committed.

That doesn't seem to be the standard rotation -- why not have U1 go to home, PU got to third and U3 cover first and second?

Garth:

It's great that working four games in the Summer heat doesn't bother you. I'm sure it's just as hot and muggy where you are as it is here. I think you're more than likely the exception to the rule though. I don't know too many other umpires that can work 23 innings in a row in 90+ heat with high humidity without feeling it.


Tim.

Garth didn't say he didn't "feel it." He said he dealt with it.

I don't think what you described is unique -- it's not the norm, but it's not that unusual, either.

[orioles35]

Pain in the a$$? You bet.

Thursday: Nine inning, no time limit ($65). Ended up at just over three hours. Luckily, I didn't have the dish

Friday: 14u tournament starts: Three games, starting at 1pm, temps in the mid 80's. Didn't feel so bad afterwards

Saturday: Four games, 2 using 2 man, 2 using 3 man, starting at 1pm, same temps. Was assigned two plate games, but one of the guys on the three man crew offered to do the last game behind the plate. You always THINK you can do it, but after three games and six hours of baseball...forget it. By now my feet are killing me.

Sunday: One more game (championship game, had the dish), at 9am. Very sleepy, and had quite enough baseball for one weekend.

Today: Hockey game...9:25 start. If I can just make it until Tuesday, I'll be ok.

Glad there's not another tournament this week.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Garth:

It's great that working four games in the Summer heat doesn't bother you. I'm sure it's just as hot and muggy where you are as it is here. I think you're more than likely the exception to the rule though. I don't know too many other umpires that can work 23 innings in a row in 90+ heat with high humidity without feeling it.

Tim.

Fourth of July tournament temperatures ranged from 92 to 97 degrees.

This past week end and today at the basketball camp the indoor temps were in the 90's as the air conditioning was turned off.

I didn't say I didn't feel the difference. I said I was prepared for it. I keep my legs in shape. I bike. I run. I weight train. I get plenty of rest at night and I drink lots and lots of water.

If you can't prepare for it you shouldn't work that much. It's not good for you. If you make the choise to work that much without being prepared, then you shouldn't whine about it.

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by DG

Late last July I swore off triple headers. Second day of a Senior tournament (16-18), I had the plate for the first game that started at 11 am with temp around 90. By the end of the 10th, 3 hours later, it was 95 degrees and I nearly stripped in a dugout on an adjoining field after the game. Then two more games on bases. By the time I got home all I could do was lie down on the garage floor with a fan on me and a six pack beside me and try to recover before going back for 2 more games the next day and two the following day. 9 games in 4 days, and 3 on the second with temps over 90. It's too much for me.

Well, here in the Chicago area, this weekend is expected to be hot AND very humid. Highs in the mid-90's Saturday and Sunday near 100, each day with what is being described as "oppressive humidity," with dew points nearing 80!

Anyone who thinks that the intense "dry heat" of the desert southwest is not really different from hot and HUMID is clueless. The latter is what actually hinders the body from sweating, and it is this more than anything that causes us problems in the heat.

Stay cool out there, folks. Drink, drink, and drink some more. And stay away from caffeinated products and alcohol (no joke--both dehydrate you).

[GarthB]

Good Lord, you all sound like old women. I'm in my 50's and work four baseball games a day at tournament time.

As for my other summer sport...I worked six basketball games today, eight yesterday and have six more tomorrow. Granted, the basketball games are a bit shorter than my baseball games, but they involve a hell of a lot more physical activity.

Best advice would be to get in shape, keep hydrated and get rest off the field. If you can't do that, don't take the games.

[lmathews19]

Originally Posted by PWL

But that would interfere with their regular job. You know what I'm talking about. Surfing the Internet and posting on forums such as these from the time they get up until the time they go to bed.

Tomorrow, I'll do forty-five minutes of cardio followed by about 200 crunches. Then about an hour of weight training. Next I'll go get a smoothie and rest for a couple of hours and play a nine inning ball game.

PWL: is it your goal on this forum to piss people off? We don't care about your workout system and save the smart-a$$ comments for another time. You never leave it alone do you? Now, go ahead and delete your post like a good boy

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by lmathews19

PWL: is it your goal on this forum to piss people off? We don't care about your workout system and save the smart-a$$ comments for another time. You never leave it alone do you? Now, go ahead and delete your post like a good boy

Yes, his goal is to tease the crap out of me and Tim BigUmp56 because a long time ago we outed him as an umpire who has no clue as to how to umpire. We pointed out a few things that identified him as a poor official in hopes that he would change these things, but instead he decided to launch personal attacks at Tim and me (yes, PWL, Tim and me is grammatically correct). He continues his vendetta, as you can see, to this very day. He is like this little 5-year old child that has to have his way. He never adds one single thing to any discussion, he only drags it down to his low level.

And I now have him back on the "ignore" list, and I recommend that everyone put him on ignore, or else quit quoting him so we do not have to read his constant drivel.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by PWL

But that would interfere with their regular job. You know what I'm talking about. Surfing the Internet and posting on forums such as these from the time they get up until the time they go to bed.

You must have overlooked this one this morning, Bob.


Tim.

[BlueLawyer]

I'm always torn at tournment time. It's an honor to be asked, but good lord, it can take over your life for the time it's going . . .

Last year I did a stint as the host umpire for the 15 yo SW Regional Babe Ruth at Bentonville, Arkansas. Tournament play started Friday. Saturday we had a rainout- one field was all the host site had going, with 5 umpires.

Sunday we proceeded to make up Saturday's games- all 4 of them- with all 4of Sunday's games too. We started promptly at 8 am. 17 hours, two plates and three pads later, I drove my exhausted self home. My UIC worked it so that I got the game off after each dish, but still . . . It was well over 100 degrees by 1 pm. It was so freaking hot it melted the glue in my base shoes. The looked like flip flops by my last game. The next day I felt like I had two cases of Black Label by myself that day . . .

My district commissioner just called me to tell me I'm the UIC for the 13 yo State BR tournament- next week. Hooray!

Ok, it's an honor to be asked.

Strikes and outs!

Especially on an 8 game, one-field day.